3 cops want trials separate from 4th in cavity search case

Lawyers for three Milwaukee police officers charged with conducting illegal body searches said Monday they will ask to have their clients tried separately from a fourth officer and co-defendant who faces the most numerous and serious charges.

Attorneys told Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Wagner at a status hearing Monday that they had recently received voluminous, almost overwhelming materials from the prosecution as part of the discovery process, and would need longer than a previously set date of Jan. 11 to prepare and file all motions in the case. The discovery materials include dozens of hours of videotaped interviews that must be watched and transcribed, and thousands of pages of other records.

But they did say they plan a motion to sever the prosecution of Jeffrey Dollhopf, Brian Kozelek and Jacob Knight from that of Michael Vagnini. District Attorney John Chisholm said his office was still considering whether or not to oppose the motion.

All four were charged in October. Vagnini is accused of searching men's anal and scrotal areas, often inserting his fingers into their rectums. Vagnini acknowledged performing one of the searches.

Vagnini faces 25 counts and is the only officer charged with sexual assault. Dollhopf faces two counts of misconduct in public office and one count each of conducting an illegal cavity search and an illegal strip search, both as party to a crime. Knight and Kozelek are each charged with a single count of misconduct in public office. In addition, Knight is charged with being a party to the crime of an illegal cavity search, and Kozelek with being a party to the crime of an illegal strip search.

All have been suspended with pay.

Both sides will reappear before Wagner Jan. 11 with clearer picture of which motions they may file, and the judge would set a later deadline for those motions and responses. For now, the case remains set for trial April 29.

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